Welcome!
I'm Vamsi, and I'm running to represent the Willows, Suburban Park, Flood Triangle, and Lorelei Manor on Menlo Park City Council.
I moved to Menlo right before my daughter was born, drawn by the community, schools, and quality of life built by prior visionaries. We stay because Menlo Park continues to be a great place to raise a family. This city has given us so much, so I want to give something back.
After eight years of the same leadership, the City has struggled to move forward, limiting our ability to keep what works and change what doesn't. It's time for a fresh start for Menlo Park's future. We'll get there by planning responsibly for growth, investing in our quality of life, and solving hard problems together.
Plan responsibly for growth
- I'll find practical ways to build more homes, so teachers, first responders, downtown employees, and growing families don't have to choose between putting down roots and making ends meet.
- I'll avoid the dysfunction that opened the legal door to the "Builder's Remedy" Sunset campus skyscraper proposal, and push the developer to come to the table with a much smaller plan.
- I'll create a comprehensive plan to revitalize downtown into an appealing destination: new affordable homes to support local businesses, sufficient parking, and fresh opportunities for new storefronts.
- I'll push to refresh and activate a plan for traffic and safety as density and development increase citywide.
Invest in our quality of life
- I'll fight for meaningful investments, not cuts: safer streets for all users, climate leadership, proactive policing, reliable city services, enriching spaces for kids and the community, and a growing tree canopy.
- I'll fund these investments by ensuring mega tech companies contribute more to the city they call home and impact heavily, rather than tapping struggling residents and small businesses.
- I'll make it easier for homeowners to upgrade by streamlining the planning application process for "substandard lots," which make up more than half of all current homes.
Solve hard problems together
- I'll tackle hard problems, not make excuses; asking for your vote means taking responsibility for what happens on my watch, not blaming others when things go sideways.
- I'll bring people together to find where we agree and make progress, instead of getting stuck where we disagree. That means I won't just vote at City Council and go home.
- I'll push for term limits and open, transparent City Hall records and meetings, so decisions aren't made behind closed doors.
- Meetings at City Hall and weekly office hours don't fit the busy lives of most residents. I'll bring the discussions to your neighborhoods and your doorsteps.
Menlo Park's best days are ahead if we make smart decisions today. As your neighbor, I'd be honored to earn your vote and get to work.
